Where does “nasty” come from?

Nasty derives from Middle English naxte, from Old Norse nask-, of unknown ultimate origin and meaning.

nasty (English): Dirty, filthy; Contemptible, unpleasant;...

Definitions

  1. Dirty, filthy; Contemptible, unpleasant;...

Ancestry of “nasty”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnasty
2Old Norsenask-

Words derived from “nasty

Every word from Old Norse nask-Every word from Middle English nasty